On July 22, Emporia, Kansas city commissioners unanimously approved a data center district amid protests over water use, power demands, and noise in the town of 24,000. Lux Claridge, a 37-year-old physics teacher, was arrested for disorderly conduct after clapping multiple times and refusing to leave, posting $400 bail the same day. He called it a minor inconvenience and plans to plead not guilty in September, as the incident spotlighted local battles over data center growth.